Madeline Mackenzie
Played by: Reese Witherspoon Occupation: Play Director Residence: Monterey, Arizona Gender: Female Hair Color: Blonde Eye Color: Blue Marital Status:Married Family: Unnamed Father Unnamed Mother Ed Mackenzie (husband) Abigail Carlson (Daughter) Khloe Mackenzie (Daughter) APPEARANCES Series Information Season 1 In an affluent community, a suspicious death at an elementary school fundraiser draws attention to the friction amongst some of the mothers; Madeline and Celeste welcome Jane into their inner circle; battle lines are drawn after an incident. Jane deflects Ziggy's questions about why they moved; Madeline is outraged over a slight from Renata; Celeste suggests that she and Perry should see a counselor; Nathan and Ed meet in hopes of smoothing out tensions between their wives. In an effort to get under Renata's skin, Madeline organizes a trip to compete with Amabella's birthday party; Celeste falls for Perry's charms before their first session with the therapist; Principal Nippal announces the Fall Gala Fundraiser theme. Nathan invites Madeline and Ed to dinner to discuss a "parenting paradigm" for Abigail; Celeste prepares for a city-council meeting about Madeline's play; Jane meets with Ziggy's teacher; Madeline unearths a key player from Jane's past. Madeline receives encouraging news about the play from her director, but his newly icy demeanor concerns her; Principal Nippal and Ms. Barnes talk to Jane about Ziggy and Amabella; Dr. Reisman examines Celeste's relationship with Perry. Madeline worries about the can of worms she created for Jane; Jane confronts Renata; Bonnie tells Nathan about Abigail's secret project; Ed and Madeline discuss the lack of passion in their marriage. Celeste takes steps towards independence. Madeline deals with fallout from her past. Jane learns the identity of the school bully. Season 2 Following first-day-of-school events, Madeline is worried by Bonnie's behavior and is shocked when Abigail says she doesn't want to go to college; Mary Louise, Celeste's mother-in-law, offers her unvarnished assessment of Madeline's character. Renata faces an uncertain future when Gordon lands in legal trouble; Corey asks Jane out on a "practice" date; Celeste opens up to Mary Louise about her relationship with Perry; Ed confronts Madeline about her secrets. Mary Louise tries to get closer to Jane; rather than address her troubles at home, Renata focuses her wrath on Principal Nippal; Madeline confronts her issues at a couples therapy session; Celeste remains conflicted by her memories of Perry. Celeste accuses Mary Louise of overstepping boundaries with Jane; Renata endures a prying court hearing with Gordon; Jane opens up to Corey at Amabella's birthday party; Madeline continues to try to make things right with Ed. Renata deals with the fallout from Gordon's legal troubles and attempts to help Celeste; Bonnie relives painful memories from her past. Celeste is blindsided by Mary Louise; Gordon continues to disappoint Renata; Bonnie contemplates a solution to her mother's suffering and her own ongoing guilt; Ed entertains an unusual proposition before catching Madeline in an unguarded moment. Celeste questions Mary Louise about a tragic event from Perry's childhood; Madeline worries their lie is tearing the Monterey Five apart.